Cybersecurity and Data Governance: Protecting the Trust Ecosystem

The third sector has always run on trust.

Whether it’s a donor sharing personal details, a member renewing their subscription, or a learner submitting sensitive documents for assessment, people expect that their information will be handled with care.

But trust isn’t just a matter of values. It’s also a matter of systems. And in an increasingly digital world, where charities, membership bodies and awarding organisations rely on connected platforms and yet agian, data flows, cybersecurity and data governance are no longer IT issues, they’re board-level imperatives.

Cybercrime is no longer the domain of shadowy hackers targeting only major corporations.

The rising tide of risk

At London Tech week we learned that research shows that third-sector organisations are increasingly in the firing line. UK charities reported more than 900,000 cybercrime incidents in a recent 12-month period. Phishing attacks, invoice fraud, and data breaches are now routine threats.

And yet, only 22% of charities say their organisation’s cybersecurity is “excellent”. Many simply hope their size, sector or good intentions will protect them. But the reality is that attackers see vulnerabilities — not values.

For membership bodies and professional associations, the reputational and regulatory risks are just as acute. Holding large volumes of member data, running online learning environments, and managing digital credentials all require robust systems and processes.

A single breach can erode confidence built over decades.

Governance gaps and good intentions

According to the Charity Digital Skills Report:

• Only 34% of charities currently have cyber insurance (compared to 43% of private firms)
• Around half say they are confident handling GDPR requirements - despite the regulation being more than 7 years old
• 62% say their trustees’ digital skills are “low” or need improvement

This paints a picture of a sector trying, but struggling to keep up with the responsibilities that come with digital delivery.

Common barriers we've identified over the last few engagements include:

• Lack of internal expertise
• Unclear ownership of digital risk
• Disconnected or legacy systems
• Limited budgets for proactive investment

If all of this sounds familiar, it's a series of themes I've discussed regularly and should give some indication of the scale of the issues, but also the solutions.

What’s needed isn’t panic, it’s structure.

At Kingsbury Consulting, we work with organisations to embed digital risk management into their broader governance structures. That doesn’t mean turning every trustee into a tech expert. But it does mean ensuring digital is recognised, monitored and acted on like any other key area of organisational risk.

Strong digital governance includes:

• A board-level lead or digital trustee with responsibility for oversight
• Clear data policies that cover consent, retention, access and breach protocols
• Regular cybersecurity audits, aligned to frameworks like NCSC’s “10 Steps to Cyber Security”
• Staff training on phishing, password hygiene, and secure data handling
• Incident response plans that are documented and tested
• Integration of data governance into system procurement and implementation

In our experience, many organisations already have fragments of these in place but lack the confidence or clarity to connect the dots, and training and hiring is both expensive and time consuming.

Fractional leadership cover for risk management and mitigation is often a cost effective way of providing reassurance.

SMEs and the third-sector

While SMEs often have more commercial pressure to invest in digital risk, many face similar resource constraints. However, they are increasingly embedding cybersecurity into their digital strategy from the outset — something third-sector organisations must now emulate.

The good news? The culture of care and ethics that defines the third sector can become a powerful driver for better governance. Where SMEs may lead with compliance or cost, charities and associations can lead with confidence, clarity and care, values their users already associate with them.

From risk to resilience

Digital risk is inevitable. But digital crisis isn’t. With the right strategy, structure and support, third-sector organisations can turn fragmented systems and fire-fighting responses into a culture of resilience.

At Kingsbury Consulting, we don’t sell cybersecurity tools. We help organisations understand where they’re vulnerable, where they’re strong, and how to embed governance that gives boards and teams confidence. 

Kingsbury Consulting offers specialist support in Data Governance and CyberSecurity through our Fractional Leadership Team, their expertise is at the heart of all our recommendations, and they can be engaged separately on a retained service basis to reduce the cost of a specialist hire.